Friday, February 28, 2020

Pathophysiology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pathophysiology - Research Paper Example Hypersensitivity results into a systemic inflammatory response leading to a spectrum of problems ranging from just runny nose to anaphylactic shock to death. This life-threatening aberration of normal immune process, that is, anaphylactic response of a sensitized human appears within minutes after administration or exposure to the specific antigen and is manifested by respiratory distress, often followed by vascular collapse or shock without antecedent respiratory difficulty. Cutaneous manifestations exemplified by pruritus or urticaria with or without angioedema are characteristic. Along with that, there may be gastrointestinal manifestations like nausea, crampy abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhoea. The materials that are able to incite an event like this may be many, among them the drugs like penicillin, insulin, antisera, local anesthetics, and other environmental agents are listed (Ewan, P.W., 1996). We will look into the pathophysiology in detail, but for better understanding of the subject, we should learn in nutshell what happens. The normal immune response or normal humoral response against a foreign body is that plasma cells secrete IgE. The normal target for IgE is as shown in the figure on the surface of the mast cells and basophils, both involved in the inflammatory response. At the first secretion, this binds to the surface of the mast cells or basophils at specific receptor sites called Fc receptors, and such an IgE coated cell is said to be sensitized to the allergen concerned. A later exposure by the same allergen will reactivate the IgE. The mast cells or basophils have granules laden in it containing a very potent inflammatory agent, histamine. This activated IgE then processes signals for degranulation of mast cells and basophils by GPCRs or chemokine receptors (Austen, K.F., Metcalfe D.D., 1995). These granules then release histamine and other inflammatory substances like cytokines, interleukins, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins into the neighbouring and adjacent tissues causing several systemic effects, such as, dilatation of the vessels, mucous secretion, nerve stimulation, and smooth muscle contraction. We will examine all these issues in relation to the clinical findings of an anaphylactic process, but before that, let us see how things happen (Montanaro, A. and Bardana, E.J. Jr., 2002). Figure 2: Showing the Anaphylactic Process at Cellular level Adopted from British Medical Journal, Pamela W. Ewan, ABC of Allergies: Anaphylaxis, BMJ, 1998; 316, 1442-1445. Apart from this acute phase response of type 1 hypersensitivity reaction, pathologically, there is also a late phase response that happens after the acute phase

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Teacher evaluation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Teacher evaluation - Term Paper Example The discussion includes specific examples from two districts, namely, the Midwest School District and South Central Texas School District. The final section provides some recommendations that will help educators design a better evaluation system for the 21st century. The incongruity of teacher evaluation is that it has the capability to significantly contribute to the growth and improvement of every teacher, but in reality it helps only a very few people. The capability of teacher evaluation is widely known. Almost all states mandate standard evaluation in compliance to the law and validate such mandates, partly, based on the obligation of teachers to improve. Most districts have collective bargaining contracts or rules specifying evaluation processes. In fact, numerous of the major educational reforms in the United States (e.g. career ranking, performance incentive/merit pay, etc.) are rooted in the belief that strong, effective evaluation processes can be formulated. Even so, in truth, teacher evaluations performed in most schools are short, inconsistent, formal procedures requiring several instances of classroom inspection every year at least accompanied by the accomplishment of a compulsory evaluation document, which is approved by all involved entities and then stacked away to oblivion. When this takes place, state law provisions and requirements of the collective bargaining contract have been satisfied, but in reality nothing valuable is accomplished for the teachers, schools, students, or community (Marsh, 2009). This essay, on the first part, discusses the history, trends, and effectiveness of teacher evaluation in the United States. The second part discusses the similarities and differences between two distinct district teacher evaluation. And the third part spells out the features of an ‘ideal’ teacher evaluation in the 21st century. Teacher evaluation originated from the evaluative role of the